Health Behaviour, Exercise Self-Efficacy, Physical Activity Status and Psychological Distress among Police Personnel: An Integrated Theoretical Concept Paper

Police work exposes officers to recurrent occupational stressors, including high job demands, threat exposure, irregular schedules and limited recovery time. Although prior research links occupational stress, lifestyle practices, exercise-related beliefs, physical activity and mental health, these constructs are often examined separately, leaving limited theoretical explanation of how they operate together within police populations, particularly in Nigeria. This theoretical concept paper addresses that gap by integrating Pearlin’s stress process perspective, Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory and Flay and Petraitis’ Theory of Triadic Influence. Using a theory-integration approach, the paper synthesises established conceptual and empirical literature to specify direct, parallel mediation, sequential mediation and moderated pathways. Health behaviour is deliberately defined as non-physical-activity health practices, healthy diet, sleep hygiene, stress management, preventive health-seeking and avoidance of harmful coping, so that physical activity status remains conceptually distinct as a behavioural mediator. The model proposes that positive health behaviour may reduce psychological distress directly and indirectly by strengthening exercise self-efficacy and increasing physical activity. Age, gender and years of service are proposed as demographic moderators, while peer norms, organisational support and work conditions provide contextual influences. The paper contributes a conceptually differentiated and testable framework for future police-health research and identifies intervention points for wellness programmes in Nigeria and comparable high-stress occupational settings.

psychological distress; health behaviour; exercise self-efficacy; physical activity; police personnel; Nigeria; theoretical framework

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